The last mini review post went over well, so I decided to start making this an occasional thing! This week’s mini review round-up includes one horror novel, 2 graphic novels, and a manga classic retelling!

Some the reviews below are the shortened version of my review, but the “goodreads” link buttons will take you to the full review. Enjoy!

SYNOPSIS:It was the children who saw – and felt – what made Derry so horribly different. In the storm drains, in the sewers, It lurked, taking on the shape of every nightmare, each person’s deepest dread. Sometimes It reached up, seizing, tearing, killing…

DNF @ 400(ish)

While I was reading It, it was hard to determine my thoughts on the book objectively because I was too focused on the negative feelings I was taking on from the content. After giving myself a chance to move past those issues, I realized something:

This book has no place in being half the length that it is.

In the 400-ish pages I read, 150+ of them felt superfluous and could have been cut. I think it’s no coincidence that almost everyone I’ve spoken to who has read It, regardless of what their feelings on it were, felt that it was about twice as long as it should’ve been.

There’s so much extraneous stuff that it felt like I was barely getting started by the time I put It down. The story simply isn’t entertaining enough to be worth nearly 1,200 pages, and at risk of being stoned to death for heresy, the recent film adaptation of “chapter 1” was excellent, and I’m really looking forward to “chapter 2” next year.

SYNOPSIS:In the early hours after Halloween of 1988, four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls uncover the most important story of all time. Suburban drama and otherworldly mysteries collide in this smash-hit series about nostalgia, first jobs, and the last days of childhood.

Eh. After calling it quits on the Saga series (because I realized, several volumes deep, that I simply did not care about it), I thought I’d give a different series from Vaughan a try, because my friends all seem to love his stories so much that I kept feeling like I was missing out on something. After reading this, I’m convinced that his work just isn’t for me. The artwork is super fun and lively, but this volume didn’t catch me at all. I might give the second volume a try, but it’s feeling unlikely right now.

Content warnings for severe homophobia and homophobic slurs (why is almost nobody talking about this…?)

SYNOPSIS:Bookworms rejoice! These charming comics capture exactly what it feels like to be head-over-heels for hardcovers.

Debbie Tung has done it again, with another adorable collection of comics about life as an introverted bookworm. The biggest reason I recommend this collection is not only because the art is cute and simply sweet and the stories themselves are fun, but because I think so many book lovers will be able to relate to it!

Thank you so much to Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

SYNOPSIS:As an orphaned child, Jane Eyre is first cruelly abused by her aunt, then cast out and sent to a charity school. Though she meets with further abuse, she receives an education, and eventually takes a job as a governess at the estate of Edward Rochester. Jane and Rochester begin to bond, but his dark moods trouble her. When Jane uncovers the terrible secret Rochester has been hiding, she flees and finds temporary refuge at the home of St. John Rivers.

Having never read Jane Eyre before, I thought a Manga Classics edition would be a great introduction to the story, and I was not disappointed! The artwork is so lovely (I was especially fond of the chibi styles in certain silly or sweet moments), and the layout and pacing was very easy to follow.

As for the story itself, I actually knew surprisingly little about it, but I was surprised by how hard it was to like Mr. Rochester! He is truly awful through most of the story and I didn’t care much for him until the very end (perhaps that’s the point, though). There were also much heavier religious overtones than I’m accustomed to in my usual reading, but it’s to be expected from classics. Between these two things, the story wasn’t a perfect read for me, but I still enjoyed it a great deal and am so happy that I chose the Manga Classics rendition for my first introduction.

Thank you so much to Udon Entertainment for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lovely reviews, Destiny! I honestly don’t think I would have the patience to read It, even if it didn’t have so much unnecessary information. Large books intimidate me like no tomorrow! 😂
I’ll have to check out that Jane Eyre manga! I’ve never read the classic, and that sounds like a wonderful way to introduce myself to the story!

Thank you, lovely!! Oh same lol. I have so many books on my TBR that I want to read so badly but they’re just too damn big!
You should definitely check out the manga! If you’re on Netgalley it’s on there, even though it’s been out a while. I think it might even be under “Read now” status!

I’m so glad it’s not just me! Don’t worry, though, there are so many GNs that are so much better. The Wicked + The Divine is pretty cool, I’ve read the first 2 volumes of it. I always recommend Nimona as a starter GN for people because it’s really cute and funny and it has amazing queer rep ♥

I haven’t read Misery yet and don’t know if I’ll ever bother—it sounds like a really cool/creepy premise but I have heard so many people say it’s way too long! I think the only books from his bibliography that are high on my TBR right now are the little Green Mile serials I have and finishing the Pet Sematary audiobook (because, hello, Michael C Hall’s narration? yes please, forever).

Subscribe & Follow

Find us on Facebook!

FRIENDS WHO HAVE SWITCHED FROM wp[.]com to self-hosted:
On .com, when replying to comments, there were little bitty arrows that indicated which comments I had replied to. Those aren't there anymore w/ Jetpack and I keep almost double-replying 😂😭 help?

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.